|
October 20, 2006
New Proposed Rule
Introducing the Passport Card
On October 17, in connection with the Western Hemisphere Travel
Initiative (WHTI), the Department of State (DOS), in consultation with
the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), introduced and submitted for
public comment a federal rule proposing the development of a card-format
passport for international travel by U.S. citizens through land and sea
ports of entry between the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean,
and Bermuda.
The DOS and DHS explained that the proposed passport card would
utilize long-range, or vicinity, radio frequency identification (RFID)
technology to link the card to a secure U.S. government database
containing biographical data and a photograph. The card itself will not
contain any personal information, and DHS will implement protections to
keep the database secure.
The proposed rule is available for public viewing and comment at
www.regulations.gov. For more information, visit www.dhs.gov or
travel.state.gov.
|
|
